DUBAI // Young people should be more open to opportunities to train in vocational courses, say education professionals and students.
Although attitudes are changing, parents and peer pressure still lead many young people to believe that higher education is the only way to a good job.
Indeed, the value of trade-specific education remains largely underrated, according to Prof Ahmad Al Ali, vice chancellor of Emirates Aviation University.
He said the focus on academic education could prove detrimental to students who were intelligent and good with handicrafts but were not academically inclined.
Speaking at the Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (Getex) on Wednesday, Prof Al Ali said such students stood a better chance of finding jobs after completing vocational training.
He said there was a need for more aviation and mechanical engineers, and graduates who did well in their studies had a good chance of securing a job with Emirates Group.
“A successful country and economy are based on having a large population of skilled people and researchers,” said Prof Al Ali. “In Britain, polytechnics have played an important role in building that skills base with vocational courses and that is something we should look at.
“You need people with the relevant skills to turn research into reality, and that is done with vocational training.”
Last year, a Deloitte study, commissioned by Dubai International Academic City, found that only 1 to 3 per cent of students enrolled in vocational education.
That is below the global average of 10 per cent and significantly lower than developed countries such as Germany and Japan, which have enrolment rates of 40 to 50 per cent.
The Deloitte study predicted that the UAE would have a labour shortage of 200,000 this year, with key industries falling short.
The Government is aware of the issue and it has been setting up several vocational institutions in recent years.
“Our aim is to have the highest and best education and we are committed to investing in that,” said Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development.
He said the UAE was an attractive centre for education because of the high quality of the country’s infrastructure and its safe and secure environment.
“Education is a priority for us, as the younger generations are our future and we will continue to invest in that,” said Sheikh Nahyan, who also stressed the importance of vocational education.
“Not every student is academically minded, so vocational education can provide an important way for young people to develop skills.”
Sara Sleem, assistant director of admissions at American University in Dubai, said students should focus on degrees and courses that work to their strengths.
“They pick the courses they think will allow them the best opportunity to get a job,” she said. “But that can be a misconception, and I tell students that it isn’t enough to just have a degree, you need to excel at what you do to stand out.”
Karan Zavar, 17, said parents were pushing their children to enrol in universities. “But academic education doesn’t prepare you properly for the world of work, so I think there should be vocational elements added to it,” he said.
Getex is being held at Dubai World Trade Centre and concludes on Friday.
nhanif@thenational.ae
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
